Our company

We target leaders because they are the ones who have an enormous impact on their environment. We make an impact on leaders so that they will want to make an impact on others. We have seen it happen and we believe in this snowball effect.

The team

Our people

Bas Blekkingh

I’m the founder of Authentic Leadership BV and the author of the bestseller “Authentic Leadership, discover and live your essential mission” (click here), which was published by Infideas in 2015.

I teach Authentic Leadership as a part-time lecturer at Nyenrode Business University. I was trained at the Royal Military Academy and was given the opportunity to train leaders in the Royal Netherlands Army. I switched to the corporate sector in 1993, and set up my own business in 1996.

Carina Mak

“To empower people with care, energy and insight.”

I am co-owner of Authentiek Leiderschap. Having been educated in Business Economics and (Chartered) Controlling, I gained international experience in various executive positions in Finance, Sales and HR at Unilever. In 2007 I started my own company and soon after that I decided to spread the power of authentic leadership.

I like to create impact in a situation, on a person, in a team or organisation. That’s what I do and love to do. Making impact on a small or large scale, by making people feel more fulfilled and become more successful. That’s what makes me happy too.

Lidwine de Vries

“Release the hidden potential by touching the souls of others.”

I have worked with Authentic Leadership as a coach and trainer since 2004, and have been closely involved in the development of the book Authentic Leadership. I addressed several coaching issues as a columnist for Carp.

Before I started with Authentic Leadership, I worked for Zwitserleven as a lawyer.
Although I did so with a great deal of satisfaction, I felt that something close to my heart was missing: helping people and businesses to develop further. Authentic Leadership offers the right combination between analyzing and developing people and businesses, in a no-nonsense manner.

Karin Zwanikken

“Let people discover and develop themselves so they empower themselves.”

I have a great deal of experience in the corporate sector and have held various management positions in several companies in the retail and B2B sectors. I have been a coach since 2006.

I enjoy helping others to discover and improve themselves. That’s why I switched to this line of work. Making a real difference by giving people insights so that they can make conscious choices. You keep coming across the same patterns, of course. Some of these patterns are blocking your success, some of them can support you. This is true for teams as well as individuals, but just being aware of these patterns is the first step to growth.

Wilmar Pasveer

“Create space to unlock authenticity.”

My work experience is in HR, in executive positions in rapidly changing organisations. Market growth, expansion, contraction and change; I witnessed all these developments in my HR role.

I’m passionate about helping others to take responsibility and show their authentic strengths.

Editha Schouten

“Helping people discover how powerful they actually are and “what makes them tick”.”

I gained my first work experience as an economist in the HR profession with a leading multinational. After varied work experience and a spell abroad, I became an independent coach, trainer and interim manager in 1999. Instructive, interesting years, full of variety and challenge.

Since working with Authentic Leadership, I use my in-depth knowledge and experience to help teams and individuals to be more successful and experience a greater sense of fulfillment. In a no-nonsense manner! And that suits my own personality perfectly. How great is that?!

Evert Schaftenaar

“To reflect and touch people with love, allowing them to take control and follow their heart.”

I have been a licensee of Authentic Leadership since 1 January 2013 and became a full time partner a year later. Prior I’ve been involved with the insurance company ASR and its legal predecessors for the past 12 years at MT level. During my last job I was Director of Operations.

I notice that my business background, my business experience and the love for people is a beautiful combination. Customers describe me as “disarmingly direct, involved and energetic”. I like to combine outdoor / sports activities with leadership development.

Dana Wildeman

“Reflecting people with love, so they are challenged to step out of their comfort zone and follow their hearts.”

Most people have once chosen from a deep drive or passion for what they do. Being important to the organization, lifting teams to a higher level, in short; do that which makes you happy and therefore successful.

But sometimes you suddenly come across yourself. Removed from the same drive, passion and what you wanted to mean. Cramped by your own egos. During my duties at the Ministry of Security and Justice, I often came across this and I saw the same in other organizations. How come? That is the question that concerns me and which I can answer better and better.

I have been working as an independent coach since 2009 and in 2014 I became a partner at Authentic Leadership. Great to challenge organizations and their people to (re) discover and live their mission. So that they become happier and more successful.

Pien Janowitz

“Connecting people by reaching their hearts.”

For 13 years, I worked in various sales positions at Microsoft and seen many companies from the inside. I still think it’s cool to be working in business, now in my role as a coach.

It is my nature and passion to connect with people and to deepen me in what drives them. I believe that if you connect your own head and heart, you also connect with others more easily. As a result, a happier and more successful person and a more effective and efficient team.

Richard de Jong

“Challenging leaders to rise above themselves.”

My work experience is very diverse. From management positions in HR to Operations and Commerce, in particular the financial and service sector. From my background as a business economist I know how to build a bridge between result driven and people-oriented.

The common thread throughout my career is the development of people and organizations. I believe that people can do it themselves. In addition to my work, I am a world cyclist, runner and partner of Yvette. Together with her I like to make long cycling trips. I enjoy it tremendously in both sport and work when people grow and push boundaries.

Brian Farley

“My mission is to make a difference in the lives of all who share a passion for growing themselves and those around them.”

For the past 30 years I have been involved with creating high performance teams on the baseball field. The crowning achievement was being the Head Coach of the Dutch National Team that won a World Championship in 2011.

I am now part of a new high performance team here at Authentic Leadership. This allows me to take the next step in my career as a coach and that is to bring the knowledge, experience and wisdom gained on the field into the business world.

I’ve always been fascinated about why we make certain choices and what drives these decisions. Why do some people persevere under pressure while others give up?

My passion lies in my desire to understand the journey towards growth and to help those willing to come out of their comfort zone to achieve their potential.

Arie Verwaal

“Let people trust themselves so they can determine their own course.”

Educated as a business economist I have gained my experience and knowledge in the areas of aviation, IT, finance and energy industry. Working as a consultant I had the opportunity to advise various organizations and I have learned it is not the numbers that count; it is all about the people and their behaviour that drives results. People make the real difference; I’m convinced of that.

In my work with Authentic Leadership, I combine my experience, sensitivity and directness to unlock the potential of people. The unspeakable will be negotiable and concrete. When you experience that you can and dare to trust yourself, it gives you room to determine your own course; live your mission.

Marjolijn van der Wielen

“I help people step into a larger comfort zone.”

After an extended career in various managerial jobs, I decided to join Authentic Leadership. The reason for this is that I have a passion for connecting people (with themselves and others) and for helping them grow to a next level.

My approach is goal oriented, personal and trustworthy. Through my experience and knowledge, I understand how businesses are run, which dynamics are at play and what’s on peoples minds. I really love to help people get insights which help them make the next step.

Nienke den Os

“By making real contact, letting people grow in self-knowledge en self-confidence, enabling them to free their own potential.”

My biggest kick is to amaze people of themselves. To let them gain new experiences and insights, so they dare to do things that first seemed impossible.

I started my working life as a physiotherapist and I am also a haptonome. From a desire to be more involved with people as a whole, I have developed myself towards coaching and business. After a number of years as an independent coach I became a partner at Authentic Leadership. Here I found the ideal combination of analytical work combined with feeling, in a no nonsense way.